Chapter Four

"You've already won me over in spite of me

Don't be alarmed if I fall, head over feet…"

The next couple of days went by extremely slowly, for Kagome at least. She was trying as hard as she could not to be alone with Inuyasha. She knew he noticed, but she couldn't help it. She couldn't be alone with him.

Every time he looked at her, she got this strange feeling, she couldn't explain it, and she didn't know what it meant, but she knew it wasn't something you were supposed to feel for your vest friend.

So that was her solution, she would avoid him until it went away. Granted, it wasn't the best thing to do, but it was all she could come up with at the time, and she was desperate. So for now, it would work.

Kagome tapped her fingers impatiently on the lunch table. She shifted uncomfortably, able to feel Inuyasha's gaze on the back of her head. She kept her eyes fixated on the table, determined not to look at him, she wasn't going to mess this up now.

It caught her off guard when Inuyasha and Kikyo stood up and left the table, heading toward the cafeterias double doors. Apparently somewhere in the midst of her mental argument, Kikyo had told Inuyasha that she needed to talk to him.

Damn. That annoying feeling was back. Only… this time there was something else…jealousy? Maybe?

Kagome waved the thought from her mind, as Kikyo walked back into the cafeteria, without Inuyasha. She walked past them and sat down across the cafeteria at a table with some of her giggling friends. Inuyasha still hadn't come back in.

In fact, she didn't see Inuyasha at all the rest of the day.

What had Kikyo said to him?

Kagome had some ideas. Nothing in her opinion though, that was significant enough to make him want to skip the rest of the day.

When she saw him the next day, he seemed as happy as usual. Maybe more nervous, but happy none the less.

She wanted to ask what he and Kikyo talked about, but figured that if he wanted her to know, he would have told her. It wasn't really her place to ask anyway. Besides, Kouga was back at school today, so she could focus on him and only him.

Kagome and Kouga walked hand in hand, beside their group of friends. Kouga was completely immersed in their conversation, having been absent for so long, he wanted to know what he had missed.

Kagome only focused half her attention on the conversation.

The rest of her attention was focused on Inuyasha. She knew he had never really liked Kouga, but today he seemed to be acting particularly cold toward him. Usually he would at least try to be civil, but today… Kagome had never seen him look at anyone the way he was looking at Kouga right now. Dislike, maybe even…hate was apparent in his eyes.

"So you guys are really over? Wow. I thought you would never break up." Kouga asked Inuyasha.

"What?" Kagome asked, a little too loudly.

"Yeah." Miroku answered on behalf of Inuyasha. "Kikyo broke up with him because…"

"SHUT UP!" Inuyasha yelled at Miroku.

Kagome wasn't stupid. She knew there was something that he didn't want her to know. Why would he confide in Miroku and not her? They were best friends, weren't they?

"So why did she break up with you?" Sango asked, joining the conversation.

He mumbled something incoherently and looked down at the ground.

"What?" Sango pressed.

"Nothing, forget it. It's just over." Inuyasha left quickly as the bell rang for class.

Kagome's thoughts stayed with Inuyasha while Kouga walked her to her next class.

Kikyo broke up with him and he didn't tell me? Why wouldn't he want me to know?

She was caught off guard when she felt Kouga's lips on her own. It took a second for her to register what was happening before she kissed him back.

Her thoughts once again, drifted to her golden-eyed best friend.

She pulled back suddenly from Kouga. She ran quickly into her first period class, apologizing to him over her shoulder. She needed to talk to Sango. Now.

She took her regular seat next to Sango, before she could say anything, Sango had already started.

"Kagome! I have to tell you something!" Sango said before Kagome could even open her mouth.

"What?" Kagome asked, annoyed. She really needed to talk to Sango, and she really didn't want to know what Sango had to say right now.

"I know why Kikyo dumped Inuyasha!" Sango said.

Kagome's eyes widened.

"Miroku told me after you and Kouga left." she continued.

"Why?" Kagome asked. There was an urgency in her voice.

"Because he's in love with you!" Sango all but screamed. Half of the class turned to look at them.

Kagome pulled Sango toward her and whispered. "What are you talking about?"

Sango explained to Kagome, exactly what Miroku told her. The day before, Kikyo pulled Inuyasha out of the cafeteria to talk to him…

"Inuyasha, I need you to tell me the truth okay?"

Kikyo and Inuyasha were standing outside of the cafeteria's double doors. Inuyasha looked confused but nodded his head.

Kikyo took a deep breath, dreading, but still anticipating his answer. "Are you in love with me?"

"Of course I am!" he answered quickly.

Kikyo shook her head. "You aren't in love with me." Her voice was quiet, almost a whisper.

"What do you mean?" Inuyasha asked, "Of course I am." He knew Kikyo would be able to hear the doubt in his answer.

"You love me Inuyasha. You aren't in love with me. You are in love with the idea of being with me."

Unexpectedly, he put his head down. "I don't know." he said quietly.

A silent tear fell down Kikyo's face, but she wiped it away. She had already decided not to allow herself to get emotional.

"You are in love with Kagome." It wasn't a question. It was a statement to justify what she already knew to be the truth.

"I don't know." It was an honest answer. Inuyasha raised his head so their eyes met. "I'm sorry Kikyo."

She nodded, leaning forward to kiss him on the cheek one last time. She gave him a sad smile before turning around and heading back into the cafeteria.

Kagome didn't know what to say. What could she say? Now she knew why Inuyasha hadn't wanted Miroku to say anything.

"So?" Sango asked.

Kagome's head was spinning. Her friend, her best friend, loved her?

"How can you be sure?" she asked, "How do you even know that Miroku was telling the truth?"

"Well, let's just say for all intents and purposed, right now, that he is telling the truth. What do you think?"

There was a question. What did she think? To tell the truth she didn't know, and that scared her.

It had been almost a week since Kagome realized that her best friend was in love with her. It bothered her that she was so confused about it. It should have been easy. Inuyasha was her best friend, Kouga was her boyfriend. When had it gotten so out of hand?

She hadn't had another chance to talk alone with Sango about "The Incident." Actually, that was a lie. She had, had plenty of chances, but still she hadn't mentioned it. She was afraid that her friend would only confirm what she had been trying so hard to deny. That she, Kagome Higurashi, was in love with Inuyasha.

Well, no she wouldn't go as far as to call it love, but there was definitely something there. Something that she would prefer not to acknowledge.

The more she thought about it however, the more she realized that she needed to talk about it, with Sango at least.

She caught up with Sango after school and pulled her aside.

"Can I talk with you for a second?"

Sango nodded. She noticed that Kagome was nervous, she was avoiding eye contact. "What's wrong?" she asked Kagome as they sat down on one of the benches outside of the school. Sango smirked, why did she get the feeling that this was about Inuyasha?

Kagome launched into an explanation, telling Sango everything that was bothering her, and about the "Kiss Incident" with Kouga. By the time she was finished, Sango was practically grinning.

Kagome shot her an annoyed look. "You find this funny?"

Sango pursed her lips and shook her head. She didn't want to upset her already distraught friend.

"What's wrong with me Sango?" Kagome asked, putting her head in her hands.

Sango smiled and put an arm around her. "Do you want my honest opinion sweetie?" she asked.

Kagome nodded slowly.

"I think that you are in love. You just haven't realized it yet."

Kagome sat up and shook her head vigorously. "I can't be! I have a boyfriend! Inuyasha is my best friend!"

Sango sighed. Even after being told that she was in love, Kagome refused to admit or even believe it. "Kagome, you asked what I thought, and I told you. Just because it isn't what you wanted to hear, doesn't mean you should ignore it. Think about it okay?" With that, Sango got up and left. Leaving Kagome alone with her thoughts.

Why couldn't anything ever be easy? Let's say she was in love with Inuyasha, hypothetically speaking of course. Where would it go from there? What about Kouga? It's not as if she didn't like him, not at all. He was a great guy. She was saying that she might not love him either? Was she?

Kagome groaned. Too many questions.

At any rate, maybe Sango was right. Maybe she did feel something for Inuyasha. She just wasn't sure what exactly something was.

Hey guys, whoops umm sort of got off track for a few er months. Well things have been a bit hectic. Sorry about the long wait, but it is summer now, so I should be able to update more often. Woot. Okay well please review, it will make me happy. I love you guys. Happy summer!